Brrr... get ready for the cold!
With winter on its way, it’s time to prepare for chilly weather. Here’s just a few things you can do to make sure your home is ready to keep you safe and warm.
Read our tips
Isolate your outside taps
If you have an outside tap, turn it off at the connected stopcock (usually labelled as ‘outside tap’ under the kitchen sink). Make sure you leave the tap open to drain out any residual water. If you don’t do this, your inside pipes can burst and damage your kitchen, or it can stop working by the spring.
Keep condensation at bay
Condensation will appear on your windows with the colder weather. Make sure you wipe this away each morning as it can turn into damp and mould. Keeping your home at a steady temperature will make sure you stay warm and that your home is less likely to develop damp and mould.
More things you can do...
Prevent cracks in your new home
As your home is newly built, it will naturally dry out over time. This can sometimes cause cracks to form. These don’t look great but they won’t affect your home’s structure. The best way to avoid this happening is to keep an even temperature in your new home (around 18°C is best). We also recommend keeping your home as well ventilated as possible, including opening windows on warmer days.
Boiler pressure
Check your boiler pressure is set and that you aren’t getting an error message. If you’re seeing an error message, follow your boiler manual instructions or check a YouTube video. You should check for leaks if the boiler pressure drops, and if you find any – let us know by calling 020 8168 0500.
Bleed your radiators
You may need to bleed your radiators if they aren’t heating up properly. This is to make sure you release trapped air and allow the water to circulate properly. You can do this by turning your heating off (and letting it cool) and then using a radiator key to slowly open the radiator bleed valve until you hear a hissing noise. This is the air escaping. Make sure you close the valve once you can’t hear the hissing any more as this means water will start moving towards the valve and potentially cause flooding.